Disney
Mulan is Disney’s 36th full-length, animated feature and the ninth to be released during the Disney Renaissance that began with The Little Mermaid. You can watch Mulan streaming with Disney +. Starring a primarily Asian cast, including stars Ming-Na Wen, BD Wong, and Pat Morita, the film was also the first Disney film to feature an Asian heroine.
It is based on the folktale, Ballad of Mulan by Guo Maoqian. Now you can watch Mulan online. The film, with a budget of $90 million, would earn about $300 million during the initial box office run, making it much more successful than other Disney films released in the latter half of the 1990s. This helped to grant Mulan a sequel, which released straight to video in 2003, and now a live-action remake is in the works.
Mulan also just made our list of the best movies to stream on Disney Plus right now.
Critics were basically happy with the release, though many noted that the songs were not as strong as previous Disney efforts and that the film veered greatly from the original works. Here’s how to stream Mulan right now:
How to Stream Mulan – Exclusively on Disney+
Mulan is one of the fan-favorite Disney original movies that will be streaming exclusively on Disney’s new subscription streaming service, Disney+.
You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Disney+ HERE, which will allow you to stream Mulan and hundreds of other movies and shows on your computer, phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device. If you extend past the free trial, the service costs $6.99/month. You may also opt for this discount bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99/month.
- 1. Sign up for Disney+ here
- 2. Go to Disneyplus.com or download the Disney+ app on your device
- 3. Log in using your information
- 4. Search for “Mulan”
- 5. Tap on “Mulan”
- 6. Tap the PLAY button
Disney+ also boasts a vast library of Disney-owned movies and series — plus several new original series coming soon. The service includes unlimited downloads so you can watch offline whenever and wherever you want. The list of compatible devices and smart TVs includes iPads, Apple TV, Amazon devices, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Chromecast, Roku, PS4, and Xbox One.
Mulan: Overview
Release Date: June 19, 1998
Creators: Guo Maoqian, Robert D. San Souci, Rita Hsiao, Chris Sanders, Philip LaZebnik, Raymond Singer, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer
Director: Tony Bancroft, Barry Cook
Starring: Ming-Na Wen, B.D. Wong, Eddie Murphy, Harvey Fierstein, June Foray, Donny Osmond
Rating: G
Synopsis: To save her father, who has been ordered to join the Chinese army where he will certainly die, a young girl goes in his place, and becomes a great Chinese heroine.
How Long Is Mulan?
Mulan has a running time of 87 minutes.
Mulan Plot
Mulan is the eldest daughter of a decorated Chinese warrior, who is called to duty to fight against the invading Huns near the Great Wall. Fearing for his life, Mulan goes in her father’s place, pretending to be his son. Afraid for her, her grandmother prays to the family elders to send their great stone dragon for protection.
Mushu, a disgraced former guardian for their clan accidentally breaks the great dragon and rather than admit this, goes to help Mulan. At training camp, Mulan passes for a man, but isn’t good at fighting and often talks back to their leader, Shang. Mushu tries to help, but it is Mulan’s inner strength and dedication to the training that eventually allows her to succeed.
Along with her other recruits, they go off to fight against Shan Yu, who is moving on the capital. They are ambushed by the Huns in the mountains but Mulan saves them when she plants a rocket in the snow and shoots it, causing an avalanche.
The Huns are defeated, but Mulan is also exposed as a woman, shaming her and causing her expulsion from the regiment. They continue toward the capital to report on the battle, but Mulan, left behind, learns there are a handful of Huns who survived, including Shan Yu. She hurries after her regiment but Shang won’t listen.
The Huns capture the Emperor and seize the palace but Mulan, along with recruits Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po sneak into the palace and fight the Huns. Mulan engages in battle with Shan Yu and gets him to the roof where they continue fighting. Mushu, acting on Mulan’s behalf, lights the fireworks and one of the rockets hits Shan Yu, knocking him off the roof and killing him.
Mulan becomes China’s heroine and receives the crest of the Emperor and Shan Yu’s sword as gifts. He asks her to be an advisor to him but Mulan declines so she can go back to her family. At home, Mulan presents her gifts to her father, who is just happy she made it back alive. Shang arrives, realizing that he has fallen in love with Mulan.
The family accepts him and asks him to join them for dinner. Mushu is reinstated as a guardian by the ancestors, who celebrate.
Mulan Cast
Several well-known Hollywood actors lent their voices to Mulan including Star Trek’s George Takei, Pat Morita, Donny Osmond, and Gedde Watanabe. Here are the main cast members for the film.
Ming-Na Wen as Mulan
Mulan pretends to be a boy and joins the Chinese army in an effort to save her father from certain death. Ming-Na Wen is an award-winning actress who is best known for her roles in the television series ER and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. She has also appeared in several films, including both animated Mulan features, the Final Fantasy franchise, and The Joy Luck Club.
B.D. Wong as Shang
Shang is a dedicated soldier who wants to bring honor to his family by properly training his recruits. B.D. Wong is an award-winning actor who is best known as Dr. Wu in the Jurassic Park series of movies. In addition to those films, he reprised the role of Shang in both animated Mulan films and in the video games, and stars in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit franchise.
Eddie Murphy as Mushu
Mushu is a disgraced guardian who is trying to regain his proper place with Mulan’s ancestors. Eddie Murphy is a famous actor and comedian who is best known for his role in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise of films. His other notable roles including Daddy Day Care, The Nutty Professor and as Donkey in the Shrek franchise.
June Foray as Grandmother Fa
Grandmother Fa worries that Mulan will not fulfill her proper roles. June Foray is a well-known voice actor in Hollywood. She has appeared in more than 300 films and TV series, including The Looney Tunes Show, Mulan, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
James Shigeta as General Li
General Li is tasked with saving the Emporer and China and must reinstate all men of fighting age to repel the Huns. James Shigeta is an award-winning actor who has had a long career in Hollywood. He starred in The Crimson Kimono and Flower Drum Song, and is also recognizable for his role in the original Die Hard film.
Mulan Songs and Soundtrack
Reflection, Mulan’s primary song for the film, is widely considered the break-out hit for pop-star Christina Aguilera; after her release of the single, she would land her first big record deal with RCA. The single made it to #19 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. Jerry Goldsmith scored the film with Matthew Wilder and David Zippel providing music and lyrics for many of the songs. The film’s soundtrack was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score and also for a Grammy.
Mulan at the Box Office
Mulan, Disney’s first film featuring Asian main characters, was a success at the box office. During the opening weekend, the film grossed just over $22 million at the box office, and during the initial run it would bring in $304 million worldwide. The box office numbers weren’t as high as previous ‘princess’ films including Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, but was strong enough to warrant a sequel.
Mulan Reviews – What the Critics Said
Mulan remains a favorite of both critics and families, holding an 86% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics were especially fond of the themes of family and duty, as well as Mulan’s strength, saying the film would break new ground for future Disney heroines. Some of the most critical were Chinese viewers who felt the movie strayed too far from the folklore and myths upon which the film is based.
Where Mulan Fits in the Disney Movie Pantheon
More popular than other Disney releases in the late 1990s, Mulan would go on to have a sequel and appearances in several video games including the Kingdom Hearts franchise of games and to appear in other Disney films including Lilo & Stitch. A live-action remake is also in the works and slated for a 2020 release. Mulan would be nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award, along with 36 others; it would win 17 awards, including 10 Annie Awards. The film was led by a primarily Asian cast, including Ming-Na Wen, BD Wong, Pat Morita, and James Hong; action star Jackie Chan would provide the Chinese dubbing for the character of Shang in the Chinese releases. Mulan was the first of three films primarily produced at Disney’s Orlando studios rather than California.
Mulan Trailer
Mulan Trivia: 5 Fast Facts
Mulan is the first Disney ‘princess’ not to be actually royal – either by birth or by marrying a prince. Mulan begins the movie as the eldest daughter of a decorated Chinese warrior and she ends the film as a warrior herself. Here are five more facts about the film:
1. Mulan’s Parents Live
It is joked about by many people, but most Disney princesses have lost one or both parents either before their film begins or during the film. Mulan is only the second Disney heroine, following Aurora from Sleeping Beauty, to have both of her parents alive and well throughout the film. There are, to date, a total of four Disney heroines with in-tact families. Aurora and Mulan were first and second, then Rapunzel from Tangled and Merida from Brave.
2. Jackie Chan Models For Fighting
Action movie star Jackie Chan has a role in Mulan that many don’t realize. He was Shang’s martial arts model – so when the animators were creating Shang’s fighting scenes they are basing his movements on Chan. Chan also made a music video out of Shang’s song, I’ll Make a Man Out of You, that was released in China.
3. Mulan is Aguilera’s Big Break
Although she began her career on Disney’s revamped Mickey Mouse Club, Mulan is considered by most to be pop star Christina Aguilera’s big break. She sang the single of the song Reflection for the film; when the song was so well-received by radio and fans, Aguilera landed a recording contract with RCA Records.
4. The Mulan/Peter Pan Connection
Fans hear a familiar tune throughout the film. In the opening credits, as well as the melody for Honor to Us All, songwriters used the same music that Peter Pan plays on his pan flute during his 1953 film.
5. Mulan Marks Disney’s 10 Year Musical Break
For the 10 years leading up to Mulan, Disney had released several musicals, including ‘princess’ favorites The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. That changed in 1998. After Mulan, Disney wouldn’t release another musical for 10 years, when The Princess and the Frog was released.